


so tell me now, before the curtains go up

by deplore



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Idols, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-02 23:31:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8687869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deplore/pseuds/deplore
Summary: It’s the nights where Oikawa’s still practicing past 8PM and there’s sweat coming down his neck like a miniature waterfall but he feels like he has so little progress to show for all the effort he’s put into memorizing a new dance routine that makes him doubt whether he’s truly cut out for the idol industry. Those times when he can physically feel the strength leaving his body as he contemplates how far he still needs to go if he wants to keep chasing his dreams are the most difficult, because he feels cornered in by how much effort he’s already put into a goal that still seems so far from his reach – like he can’t give up because he doesn’t know what else he’d do, having already spent so many years singing and dancing and composing.
  For better or for worse, this is not one of those nights. Rather, Oikawa is just extremely annoyed by the fact that he has to practice with Ushijima Wakatoshi, of all people.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [astronomically](https://archiveofourown.org/users/astronomically/gifts).



> HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ONE OF MY FAVORITE MEMERS!!! May it be another year filled with qt cosplay pics, fandom jokes, 8 million OTP AUs, and other such silliness and happiness \o/!!! 
> 
> I wanted to write Aikatsu! AU so it could be one of your fav ships in one of your other fav series but halfway through I realized I barely know anything about Aikatsu so it ended up being generic idol AU.... I'm sorry and I hope I landed in the general ball park o

It’s the nights where Oikawa’s still practicing past 8PM and there’s sweat coming down his neck like a miniature waterfall but he feels like he has so little progress to show for all the effort he’s put into memorizing a new dance routine that makes him doubt whether he’s truly cut out for the idol industry. Those times when he can physically feel the strength leaving his body as he contemplates how far he still needs to go if he wants to keep chasing his dreams are the most difficult, because he feels cornered in by how much effort he’s already put into a goal that still seems so far from his reach – like he can’t give up because he doesn’t know what else he’d do, having already spent so many years singing and dancing and composing.

For better or for worse, this is not one of those nights. Rather, Oikawa is just extremely annoyed by the fact that he has to practice with _Ushijima Wakatoshi_ , of all people.

“Nope. No, I just can’t. I cannot do this. We’re done here, good night, farewell forever,” Oikawa says as he holds onto one of the bars in front of the practice room’s wall mirror, breathing exaggeratedly. “This is impossible and I never should’ve agreed to it.”

A few paces away, Ushijima patiently unfolds his arms and holds a hand out to Oikawa. “Let’s at least run the routine once more before calling it a day,” he suggests.

“I’m exhausted in many senses. Physically, mentally, emotionally, but above all else, exhausted of working with you,” Oikawa snaps back. “Do you _really_ want to give it another try?”

Ushijima nods. Oikawa sighs heavily.

“Of course you do,” Oikawa mutters, reaching with his dominant hand to massage his opposing arm as he contemplates whether he should give a hard rejection or give in. “If I had wanted to do a duet with you at any point in my life, then I would’ve enrolled in the same idol academy as you. Did anybody ever think about that before making this pair-up happen?”

“Cross-academy collaborations are popular nowadays, so as one of Aobajousai’s top students, it was inevitable you’d participate in one,” Ushijima replies. Oikawa can’t tell if Ushijima is purposely dodging the crux of the matter or if he’s just stating what he feels to be the obvious, which makes his response especially vexing.

All the while, Ushijima continues to hold his hand out. Oikawa’s almost tempted to slap it away to be petty, but he can’t quite bring himself to that level of immaturity when Ushijima has to be so serious about everything all of the time. Oikawa sighs, and then says, “Fine, just one more time, and that’s _it_.”

Ushijima nods, and Oikawa grabs his hand to allow Ushijima to pull him up.

 

 

 

The stage concept is named “The Enemy Of Your Enemy”. Composed and choreographed by students from Shiratorizawa and produced by students from Aobajousai, the theme is rather apt, in Oikawa’s opinion – to the point of being laughably ironic, given that they're being forced into these cross-academy performances on the pretext of learning how to collaborate when he's pretty sure they're just trying to snipe talent from each other. The general idea around the dance routine is that two spies from opposing organizations who’ve gone head-to-head in the past are forced to reconcile their differences when a larger, common threat presents itself. The song itself is a duet, with each of them singing about the same woman and their realization that she’s been two-timing the both of them, yet both of them are reluctant to give up on her.

In other words, it’s exactly the kind of concept that two teenaged boys who spend the majority of their free time practicing have no practical experience with. “I still don’t understand why this is happening to me,” Oikawa mutters as he puts his stage outfit on, attempting to mentally prepare for their debut performance. His clothes are dark blue with white and silver accents in a clean-cut faux military style, complete with combat boots laced up and a hat pinned carefully to the top of his head. “No pressure, though! It’s just one more showcase that I have to get a passing grade on to graduate on time. At this point, every showcase is make or break, so there's no point in getting additionally nervous. Haha, yep, I’ve got this. At least Ushiwaka’s reliably… reliable, even if he sucks personality-wise.”

“Oikawa, would you _hurry up_ and stop monologuing at yourself,” Iwaizumi shouts from the make-up station.

“I’m not monologuing!” Oikawa calls back. He zips up his jacket and does up the top button, stepping out of his changing stall, only to be greeted by Iwaizumi right in front of him, giving him a dead eyed stare.

“Sure you weren’t,” he says, and then grabs Oikawa by the wrist to drag him forcibly over to the make-up station.

Ushijima’s already sitting at one of the mirrors; his costume is in a similar style, but his color scheme is mainly white with light blue and gold accents. Oikawa recognizes the Shiratorizawa student doing his make-up by face but not name, a scowling blond boy who has a surprisingly delicate touch as he sharpens the edges of Ushijima’s eye shape with eyeliner. Oikawa points in their direction. “Why can’t you be gentle with me like that, Iwa-chan?” he says, only for Iwaizumi to roll his eyes and shove him into a seat.

“You’re the performance after next, which means you’re running behind schedule, so I don’t want you opening your mouth tonight,” Iwaizumi informs him as he brandishes a make-up brush like a weapon.

Oikawa swallows and meekly relinquishes himself.

 

 

 

Iwaizumi does a beautiful rush job, as Oikawa knew he would, and he ends up on the wings just in the nick of time. Ushijima’s on the other side of the stage – neither of them can be seen behind the curtains, but they have a clear view of each other from across the width of the stage. For a moment, Oikawa could swear that he sees Ushijima nod in his direction, as if to be encouraging or something – but since it’s Ushijima, he’s pretty sure it’s _or something_.

The preceding set of performers – a group from Shiratorizawa that have some sort of punk-rock image, Oikawa assumes, if their scream-o bridge was a standard for their performances – leaves the stage amid cheers and shouts. But Oikawa loves a crowd that’s already pumped up: it makes thrilling the audience feel even more like a conquest well-deserved.

The spotlights dim, and then rosy red-filtered lights along the stage’s edge light up hazily, almost as if to mimic smoke. There are a few moments of silence, and Oikawa can hear his heart beating in his ears, but he’s not nervous at all. _Alright, here it is. The moment of truth, weeks of putting up with Ushijima Wakatoshi is coming to its end_ , he thinks to himself as the crowd begins to quiet down. _Weird. I don’t even feel that annoyed right now. I guess it was kind of amusing, in its own way, even if he always wanted to practice waaay too late_.

Ushijima begins walking on stage first, just as choreographed. It begins as if he were going to perform a solo, until Oikawa makes his entrance and segues from the power ballad of an introduction into a more upbeat tempo. And of course Ushijima hits all his notes perfectly, each move of the choreography with a brisk sort of professionalism.

 _Ahh, come on, I’m dying to get on stage_ , Oikawa thinks, even as he can feel his breathing naturally sync up with each arching phrase of Ushijima’s lines. _I’ll show him up. Hard work doesn’t betray, I can definitely show him up!_

There’s a rest, a brief moment before the dance beat drops and Oikawa makes his entrance on stage, a bolt of energy as the spotlights go up at full brightness and he rips into his first verse with vivacity, a smirk playing at his lips as he spares a moment to glance at Ushijima to communicate something like _oh, it’s so on tonight, better bring your A-game!_

But to his surprise, Ushijima is already looking right at him, and Oikawa knows the message was received when level-headed, practical-to-a-fault Ushijima Wakatoshi breaks from choreography to unfurl an arm in his direction, fingertips of his hand curled up as if to reply: _Consider it brought_.

 

 

 

For Oikawa, the best performances always end in a daze. He can hear people screaming at the top of their lungs, voices piercing through the stupor in his head as applause echoes throughout – and even though their number is only about four minutes, he feels exhausted, like he pulled a bit of life energy out of his body and spread it throughout the auditorium. The spotlights were particularly heavy with heat, following the pair of them during the entire performance, and sweat drips from his brow. He gets to the side of the stage fine, but then the fatigue seems to catch up with him as he leaves the limelight and he returns from being rising young idol to just normal Oikawa Tooru.

In the revised version of his memory of this moment, Oikawa doesn’t come within centimeters of tripping onto his beautiful face if it were not for Ushijima reaching and steadying him from behind, placing the palm of his hand flat at the center of his back and carefully realigning Oikawa’s center of gravity. Rather, Ushijima is just weirdly ignorant of boundaries as always and probably can’t keep his hands off of Oikawa’s gorgeous self.

“You performed exceptionally,” Ushijima tells him as they exit backstage. Oikawa notes that although Ushijima’s expression is as impassive as always, he’s also breathing heavily, the faint sheen of perspiration visible across his forehead.

In spite of everything, Oikawa manages a winning smile. “You weren’t bad yourself, Ushiwaka,” he replies, but he sounds alarmingly genuine even to himself. He decides to write that off on being tired, too. “Let’s… _not_ do it again anytime soon, though. Really.”

To his surprise, Ushijima smiles back – it’s just a tiny smile, but a smile nonetheless. “So maybe after a break,” he says.

Oikawa laughs loudly and purposefully obnoxiously as he zips away to Iwaizumi’s side to escape the rehash of the conversation they always have about such abstract things as potential and opportunity and whether or not Oikawa is squandering it. He does not, however, say ‘no’ before he goes.


End file.
